The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-06-12
THE G. A. R. TROUBLES.
The Boys in a Quandary CON-
corning the President.
sHERMAN's RINGING LETTER.
The Presidents Action in tho Pension
Bills sits Heavily on the
G. A R Minds.
The Grand Army's rribulations.


ST. LOUIS, June 11.-General John A
Noble and Colonel D. P. Dyer, two
prominent members of the Grand Army
of the Republic of this city. received
letter today from General Sherman, In
which he discusses at some length the
recent muddle regarding the invitation
| to President Cleveland TO visit st.
Louis during the Grand Army en-
campment next fall. The material
points of the letter are as fol-
lows: The rumor of your troubles
in st. Louis reached me by telegraph,
and has lost nothing by distance | pe-
lieve we here in New York now under
stand the facts: that the Grand Army of
| the Republic holds its next annual en-
campment in st. Louis on the last
Wednesday of September, 1887; that the
great fair of the valley OF the Mississippi
begins Monday, October ID; that the
best citizens OF st. Louis have invited
many prominent men TO be the guests
of their city on the accidental coinci-
dence of these two important events
among these the President of our com
mon country, Grover Cleveland, family
and suite The Grand Army of the Repub-
lie is composed exclusively of men who
served in the army and navy Of the
Union, to which Mr.. Cleveland does not
belong, and therefore he can't partici-
pate in any of It's proceedings, but the
moment the Grand Arm, emerges fro m
its hall of elaboration it becomes,
like the Free Masuns, Odd Fellows, and
other societies of good men associated
for noble purpose, part of the gen
eral community subject to the laws and
3 Ha+ Inn
| land, President OF the United STATES, and
COMMANDMENT Chief of the army and
navy of the United States, is free to
come and go wherever the juris-
diction of our national government
extends. He may visit any fort or ship,
where the national flag will be lowered
| to manifest respect to him and s
officers, and should foreign ships fail
| to do him full hon RS, none Will be so
quick to resent an insult as the mem
| bers of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, who perilled lie and limb to
make that flag respected at home and
abroad. The idea of his being insulted,
much less endangered, should he be Oh
! the stand alongside our commander in
chief, General Fairchild when the Grand
Army is passing in review, seems 20 me
monstrous. think know the
Iowa boys too well to believe
such thing possible. Brave men are
never ungenerous. The Iowa soldiers
we're brave men. [ know it of
knowledge acquired in the battle, and 1
will pledge my life that no Iowa
soldier will do so unmanly an act;
and should Mr.. Cleveland &C
cept the invitation, which l hope
he will, to attend the parade of the
Grand Army of the Republic at st.
Louis on the 28th of September next, l
will stand by his side or march past in
the ranks of Ransom Post, as may be
ordered by General Fairchlld.
l notice with pain that the Presidents
action on q certain pension bill enters
into this unhappy controversy.
There were many private bills,
and one of general natars,
which the President vetoed. The
President can only account for his judg-
ment by his own conception of duty.
We, as soldiers, must submit to 1T, be-
cause it is the law. do not believe
government can, ever be TOO
Charitable to the old soldiers,
and had been near Mr.. Cleveland
would not have ventured to advise him
on the general bill, but as to private
cases, | would have said charity
enters largely into pensions, and when
any special bills have passed
the ordeals of committees, approve
them; but on the general bill exercise
YOUR full constitutional power. Honest
men differ widely on the question OF
pensions to our old and feeble COM
rades. Well, all want to do
what is right, but differ as
| to the means. All We know
is that twenty odd years after the civil
war, the government of the United
States, under Republican and Demo-
cratic rules, ray out to our soldiers OF
the Union army about $50 ,OO0, 900 per
wear, a few thousand to the Mexican
war veterans, regardless of locality, ana
not one cent to the rebels OF the south.
We old soldiers of the civil var nave
not vet just cause to make a. e OF
the question of pensions to III, 7rm
and wounded comrades. L advise to
90 right along and prepare the va Tor
1he Grand Army at its session IN
st, Louis, and receive them as
they deserves honored guests-and
a 40 the President of the United States
wlrh such honored guests as may grace
the occasion.